The Start, Scale & Succeed Podcast

Hosted by Scott Ritzheimer

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300

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Nov 2026

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About the show

Scale Architects, founder, CEO and Secrets of The High Demand Coach podcast host Scott Ritzheimer has helped start nearly 20,000 new businesses and nonprofits and launched and sold his own multimillion-dollar business after leading it through an exceptional and extended growth phase (over 10 years of double-digit growth) all before he turned 35. He realized the biggest secret to success is that there is not one secret to success. There are key strategies, tactics, skills, and mindsets needed at each stage of the journey AND they are different in each stage. He launched the Start, Scale & Succeed podcast to help you know what you need to do RIGHT NOW to create the success you want. If you're a founder, entrepreneur, owner, or CEO or even if you'd like to be. You'll find episodes guiding you to success in all seven stages of your journey from pre-launch to post-exit.

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60 recent

November 10, 202616 min

Hire Three People, Work Ten Times Harder with David Salerno (stage 3) - Ep. 446

In this practical episode, David Salerno, Founder and President of Entrepreneur Sherpa, shares why hiring people often makes founders work harder and how to build systems so the business no longer depends on you. If the work still lives in your head every evening and weekend, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why the work still lives in your head even after you hire people - How to document processes so the business no longer depends on you - What unrecruiting with compassion looks like when someone isn’t the right fit This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 3 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz David Salerno is a serial entrepreneur, author, and Vice-Chair of the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) — Canada's leading free-market think tank. Over more than twenty years, he founded and scaled Solpak Packaging Solutions to eight-figure revenues and 530+ clients across Canada — building systems so efficient the company ran itself — before executing a strategic exit. His book, Built For Freedom (registered with the Library of Congress), documents the Sherpa Method: a nine-step framework for building businesses that no longer depend on their founders. David leads Entrepreneur Sherpa, a coaching and education company serving growth-stage entrepreneurs across North America. Want to learn more about David Salerno's work at Entrepreneur Sherpa? Check out his website at https://www.entrepreneursherpa.co/ Check out David Salerno's personal website at https://www.davidsalerno.com/ Connect with David Salerno through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidvsalerno/ Get a copy of David Salerno's book Built for Freedom at https://shop.entrepreneursherpa.co/products/built-for-freedom

November 10, 202617 min

Stop Hustling in the Wrong Direction with Stacey Berger (stage 2) - Ep. 445

In this empowering episode, Stacey Berger, Owner of Ever Expanding Coaching Ltd., shares how to escape the hamster-wheel of constant busywork and start taking the actions that actually move the needle. If you’re working every waking hour yet still feel behind and exhausted, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why celebrating what you already accomplished creates better energy and real momentum - How to shift from outside-in busywork to inside-out actions guided by your vision - What an entrepreneur mindset requires versus clinging to employee-style security This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 2 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Stacey Berger is an award-winning transformational coach, speaker, and entrepreneur with over a decade of coaching experience and 16 years in corporate business. She combines neuroscience-backed strategies with practical action to help entrepreneurs and leaders overcome self-sabotage, strengthen resilience, and achieve sustainable success. Having coached more than 1,000 clients across North America, Stacey is passionate about helping people unlock their potential through mindset mastery and intentional leadership. Want to learn more about Stacey Berger's work at Ever Expanding Coaching Ltd.? Check out her website at https://www.staceyberger.ca/ Connect with Stacey Berger through her LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-berger/ Check out Stacey Berger's Socials: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everexpanding Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceyaberger/

November 3, 202618 min

Every Founder Needs a Parking Lot with Chad Paris (stage 3) - Ep. 444

In this clarifying episode, Chad Paris, Founder and CEO of Stonefly Consulting Group, shares why hiring great people and getting out of their way often backfires at this stage, how process keeps your growing team aligned to who you actually are, and simple ways to protect focus while still capturing your ideas. If you struggle with talented hires who still create chaos, loyalty promotions that stall growth, or feeling like something is “off” but you can’t name it, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why promoting loyal early team members into the wrong seats quietly creates chaos and stalled growth - How to reconnect your original message so sales, marketing, and ops stay fluid as you scale - What the “parking lot” tactic does to stop idea overload and finally get things finished This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 3 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Chad Paris spent 10 years in the classroom before spending 15 more in executive sales leadership — hitting SVP level and driving over $37 million in revenue growth across some demanding industries. But he kept seeing the same thing. Great founders, solid products, real potential — stalled out because the process underneath couldn't carry the weight. So he started Stonefly Consulting Group. Now he works with SMB founders and operators to find the gaps — in their sales process, their workflows, their people systems — and fix them before those gaps cost real money. He also hosts the Process Over Pressure podcast, where founders get honest about what almost broke them and what finally moved the needle. Process over pressure every time. Want to learn more about Chad Paris' work at Stonefly Consulting Group? Check out his website at https://www.stoneflyconsulting.com/ Connect with Chad Paris through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-paris-34828122/ Check out Chad Paris podcast Process over Pressure with Chad Paris at https://www.youtube.com/@processoverpressure-sf Email Chad Paris at chad@stoneflyconsulting.com

November 3, 202615 min

Grow Your Business Without Personal Guarantees with Sue Schuster (stage 3) - Ep. 443

In this practical episode, Sue Schuster, COO of BizFi.io, shares how you can access growth capital without always putting your personal assets on the line, why corporate credit matters more than most founders realize, and how to use debt strategically instead of fearfully. If you struggle with needing capital to hire, buy equipment, or scale but hate the idea of personal guarantees and high-cost advances, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - How to use equipment financing first so the asset itself serves as collateral and frees up other cash - Why building true corporate credit (Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax Business) takes deliberate action most founders skip - How to test whether your funding plan is actionable before you take on any debt This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 3 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Sue Schuster is COO of BizFi.io and a Business Funding Strategist who helps entrepreneurs access the capital they need to grow, sometimes without putting their personal credit at risk. With more than 20 years of experience as a business owner, Sue understands how cash flow, funding, and financial clarity make or break a company’s ability to scale. A former competitive athlete and coach, she brings discipline, resilience, and a strategic mindset to the business owners and advisors she supports. Sue specializes in working with coaches, consultants, fractional CFOs, equipment sellers, and small business service providers to help their clients secure working capital, equipment financing, growth term loans, and SBA funding. Want to learn more about Sue Schuster's work at BizFi.io? Check out her website at https://biz-fi.io/sue-schuster-943172. Connect with Sue through her LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-pantano-schuster Email Sue Shuster at sue@biz-fi.io

October 27, 202616 min

Don’t Start the Wrong Business with Sheldon Wolf (stage 1) - Ep. 442

In this no-nonsense episode, Sheldon Wolf, Founder of Intellitary Real Estate & Mortgage Referral Network, shares why “follow your passion” is dangerous advice and how to build businesses designed to profit from day one. If you’re thinking about starting a business but worried you’ll turn a hobby into a money pit, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why following your passion alone often leads to starting the wrong business - How to build a business backwards from monetization instead of from the idea - What the hidden costs of customer acquisition do to true profitability This episode is ideal for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 1 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Sheldon "The Wolf" Wolf is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and business architect with more than 30 years of experience in real estate, finance, lending, and technology. He spent his career identifying broken business models and redesigning them from the ground up. Today, he's the founder and CEO of Intellitary, an AI-powered "Un-Brokerage" strategically engineered backward to scale rapidly, generate substantial recurring revenue, and maximize enterprise value. Sheldon believes the biggest opportunities aren't found by improving existing industries—they're created by seeing what everyone else misses and challenging assumptions others accept as fact. Want to learn more about Sheldon Wolf's work at Intellitary Real Estate & Mortgage Referral Network? Check out his website at https://intellitary.com/ Connect with Sheldon Wolf through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheldon-wolf67/ Email Sheldon Wolf at sheldon@intllitary.com

October 27, 202615 min

You Don’t Have to Be Famous to be Worth Listening To with Dominic Forth (stage 2) - Ep. 441

In this empowering episode, Dominic Forth, CEO of Thought Leaders America, shares how early-stage founders can build credible visibility and turn media into real revenue. If you feel stuck because no one trusts you enough to buy yet, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why your revenue problem is often a trust problem, not just a lead problem - How to use podcasts to gain visibility and real-time feedback without waiting for perfection - What to do with media appearances so they become revenue-generating assets This episode is ideal for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 2 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Dominic Forth is the CEO of Thought Leaders America and creator of the Media Millionaire Method. After 20 years inside the world's biggest newsrooms, he relocated from the UK to the US. He built a 7-figure business—generating over $1M in under two years using media as his sole growth channel, before even establishing a traditional sales funnel. He has placed hundreds of clients across 200 US TV stations and helped founders and CEOs turn a single 3-minute interview into a revenue-generating asset. A near-fatal rafting accident on the Zambezi River and multiple Ironman finishes shaped his Calm, Clarity, Courage leadership framework, which he uses to help leaders stop being the best-kept secret in their market. Want to learn more about Dominic Forth's work at Thought Leaders America? Check out his website at http://www.thoughtleadersamerica.com/ Connect with Dominic Forth through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-forth/ Subscribe to Dominic Forth's newsletter Authority Brief at https://www.authoritybrief.com/

October 20, 202618 min

Stop Renting Out Your Best Years with Daniel Carpio (stage 1) - Ep. 440

In this timely episode, Daniel Carpio, Co-Founder of Veri, shares how AI has collapsed the old barriers so you can now scale yourself as the new unit of growth instead of relying on one employer. If you struggle with feeling locked into a single job for income, identity, and security while sensing the game has changed, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - How to start with radical self-assessment of your real skills, assets, and constraints before building anything - Why tight feedback loops across every time horizon are now the only way to avoid compounding the wrong bets - What nondelegable risks you must own yourself once traditional employment no longer absorbs them for you This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 1 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Daniel "Danny" Carpio is an organizational architect, systems builder, entrepreneur, and author of the upcoming book The Unfirm: The New Unit of Scale Is You. Over the past 13 years, he has helped build organizations that raised more than $25 million in capital and achieved nine-figure valuations. Danny specializes in organizational design, AI-native operating systems, and helping founders and small teams achieve self-scale by creating smarter systems instead of relying on traditional organizational growth. Want to learn more about Daniel Carpio's work at Veri? Check out his website at https://joinveri.co/ Connect with Daniel Carpio through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-carpio-9703a043/ Check out Daniel Carpio's Twitter at https://x.com/augmentedthings Get a copy of Daniel Carpio's book The Unfirm: The New Unit of Scale is You at https://www.amazon.com/Unfirm-New-Unit-Scale-You-ebook/dp/B0GZF9FLCR

October 20, 202618 min

Strategy Drag Is Slowing Your Leadership Team with Aleya Harris (stage 5) - Ep. 439

In this insightful episode, Aleya Harris Founder and Owner of The Evolution Collective Inc., shares how strategy drag quietly drains your momentum as a Level 5 CEO and how story-driven leadership turns team misalignment into forward motion. If you struggle with your executive team interpreting the same strategy five different ways, delayed decisions, duplicated work, or investments that somehow never move the business forward, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - How to spot strategy drag as the hidden resistance that keeps your approved plan from actually happening - Why answering “what does this mean for me” for every person is the real key to execution - How to use storytelling frameworks and belief archetypes to get true buy-in without changing who people are This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 5 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Aleya Harris is an award-winning keynote speaker, former Google executive, and CEO of The Evolution Collective. She created the Story-Driven Leadership™ Framework, helping founders, CEOs, and leadership teams build trust, strengthen communication, and scale their businesses through authentic leadership. Blending executive experience with practical business strategy, Aleya equips entrepreneurs with actionable tools to lead high-performing teams, create memorable brands, and thrive in an AI-driven marketplace. Her engaging, story-driven approach has inspired audiences across corporate, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial communities. Want to learn more about Aleya Harris' work at The Evolution Collective Inc.? Check out her website at https://www.evolutioncollective.com/ Connect with Aleya Harris through her LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleyaharris/ Check Aleya Hariss' personal website at https://www.aleyaharris.com/speaking

October 13, 202621 min

Stopping Isn’t Quitting with Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey (stage 1) - Ep. 438

In this liberating episode, Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Owner of Nell3D, shares why stopping is not the same as quitting and how strategic subtraction creates more impact and fulfillment. If you feel stuck doing more and more yet still dissatisfied or exhausted, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why stopping is different from quitting and essential for high performers - How to use the Stop-Drop-Roll process to subtract strategically - What happens when you create space instead of always adding more This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 1 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey (aka Nell 3D) is a Subtraction Activist, Forbes Leadership contributor, and creator of the Lead in 3D framework. She helps ambitious, big-hearted leaders build success that feels as good as it looks, so they can have the impact they care most about. Her Systematic Subtraction method has served leaders at companies from Google to Bank of America and the National Park Service. Want to learn more about Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey's work at Nell3D? Check out her website at https://www.nell3d.com/ Connect with Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey through her LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nell3d/ Watch Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey's Tedx Subtract to Succeed: The Case for Doing Less at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzRp2sQQNGc Get guest pass for FULL access to Subtract to Succeed at https://nell3d.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=376f87b3

October 13, 202615 min

Can We Finally Give Up on Growth Hacks? with Hugo van den Biggelaar (stage 4) - Ep. 437

In this practical episode, Hugo van den Biggelaar, CEO and Co-Founder of The Bitsing Company USA, shares why growth hacks fail and how a balanced, insight-driven method makes growth predictable again. If you’re approving budgets that don’t return and feel stuck playing permanent whack-a-mole, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why chasing silver-bullet growth hacks keeps you stuck fixing one fire after another - How to use actual revenue data instead of gut feel to decide where to invest - What a balanced growth strategy looks like so you don’t starve today’s business This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 4 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quiz Hugo van den Biggelaar is a Dutch entrepreneur and former Director at Nike, now based in Brooklyn, New York. When his time at Nike ended, he made his biggest bet yet: moving to New York to bring BITSing to the US. BITSing is a proven growth methodology with a 30-year track record across more than 1,000 organizations, from global giants like BMW, HP Enterprise, and DHL to fast-growing startups and scaleups. BMW tripled its market share. HP grew revenue 168% across 72 countries. DHL added 22%. Hugo works with founders and leadership teams to diagnose where growth is breaking down and rebuild it in a proven way. He is currently building BITSing USA from Brooklyn, one client at a time. Want to learn more about Hugo van den Biggelaar's work at The Bitsing Company USA? Check out his website at https://bitsing.com/ Connect with Hugo van den Biggelaar through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugovandenbiggelaar/